Philadelphia Eagles: DeAndre Carter states his case with 42-yard return

One week after being waived for Josh Adams, DeAndre Carter delivered arguably the play of the game for the Philadelphia Eagles as a punt returner.

Had the Philadelphia Eagles found a way to defy the odds and pull out a victory over the Tennessee Titans, fans in the 215 likely wouldn’t be lamenting the loss of Rodney McLeod, questioning if Mike Groh is an adequate replacement for Frank Reich (whose new team also lost in an embarrassing fashion), or if our team has what it takes to make it back to the postseason.

No, had Philly found a way to score on the opening drive of overtime, or a way to keep Mike Vrabel‘s squad out of the end zone, we’d likely be talking about DeAndre Carter‘s electrifying 42-yard punt return to set up Jake Elliott‘s game tieing field goal.

And to make things even more impressive, Carter wasn’t even on the 53 man roster last weekend.

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That’s right, after originally making the team following a strong preseason campaign, Carter was unceremoniously waived to free up a roster spot for practice squad standout Josh Adams, as injuries piled up at running back.

Though it seemed like Carter’s time on an NFL roster had come to an end after spending three years bouncing around about a half-dozen practice squads, to borrow from College Game Day’s Lee Corso, ‘Not so fast my friend.’ When news broke that Rodney McLeod was headed to IR following surgery to repair a torn MCL, Howie Roseman and the Eagles front offices took it as an opportunity to promote Carter back onto the 53.

Now granted, after watching the game, that spot may have been better utilized on an actual safety, as Graham struggled mightily in coverage as a deep center fielder, and may have actually cost the team a win, but after watching Carter shred the Titans’ D, it’s hard to imagine the team allowing the 5-foot-8 playmaker from Sacramento State to walk away anytime soon.

Sure, he may not be the prototypical size of an NFL player, but Carter has consistently made plays whenever the ball is in his hand. The Eagles are desperate for playmakers, even after the return of Jordan Matthews and Alshon Jeffery.

While he may no longer serve as the team’s dedicated punt returner once Darren Sproles returns from injury, Carter has done everything in his power to help the Eagles win games when on the field. From catching a pass in Week 1 to his electrifying return in Week 4, it’s clear that DeAndre Carter is a player who deserves more touches, not less, and has absolutely earned a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles 53 man roster for the remainder of the season. I’m sure fans across the Delaware Valley would agree.